Service Tool

General Information

Technologies must be operated and maintained in accordance with Federal and Department security and privacy policies and guidelines. More information on the proper use of the TRM can be found on the TRM Proper Use Tab/Section.

Website:	Go to site
Description:	Service Tool is a software solution installed on a personal computer (PC) and is designed to install software updates or upgrades and add additional features including applications for Welch Allyn devices via internet connection. When Welch Allyn vital signs monitors are connected to the personal computer (PC) via Universal Serial Bus (USB) cable, this technology lists installed modules, installed firmware and hardware versions, warranty and repair information, status, and usage history. This technology does not contain a database. There are two editions of this technology: Standard and Gold Edition. The Standard edition is unlicensed and provides basic access to device information and firmware updates, whereas the Gold edition is licensed and required to perform complete functional verification and device calibration. This entry covers both editions.
Technology/Standard Usage Requirements:	Users must ensure their use of this technology/standard is consistent with VA policies and standards, including, but not limited to, VA Handbooks 6102 and 6500; VA Directives 6004, 6513, and 6517; and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standards, including Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS). Users must ensure sensitive data is properly protected in compliance with all VA regulations. Prior to use of this technology, users should check with their supervisor, Information Security Officer (ISO), Facility Chief Information Officer (CIO), or local Office of Information and Technology (OI&T) representative to ensure that all actions are consistent with current VA policies and procedures prior to implementation.
Section 508 Information:	This technology has been assessed by the Section 508 Office and found non-conformant. The Implementer of this technology has the responsibility to ensure the version deployed is 508-compliant. Section 508 compliance may be reviewed by the Section 508 Office and appropriate remedial action required if necessary. For additional information or assistance regarding Section 508, please contact the Section 508 Office at Section508@va.gov. Please see reference tab for more information concerning product versions.
Decision:	View Decisions

Decision Source:	TRM Mgmt Group
Decision Process:	One-VA TRM v23.5
Decision Date:	05/01/2023
Introduced By:	TRM Request
Vendor Name:	Welch Allyn

Vendor Release Information

The Vendor Release table provides the known releases for the TRM Technology, obtained from the vendor (or from the release source).

Version	Release Date	Vendor End of Life Date	Vendor Desupport Date
1.6	01/18/2013
1.7	12/11/2013
1.8.0.0	05/11/2015
1.10.x

Current Decision Matrix (04/05/2023)

Users must ensure their use of this technology/standard is consistent with VA policies and standards, including, but not limited to, VA Handbooks 6102 and 6500; VA Directives 6004, 6513, and 6517; and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standards, including Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS). Users must ensure sensitive data is properly protected in compliance with all VA regulations. Prior to use of this technology, users should check with their supervisor, Information Security Officer (ISO), Facility Chief Information Officer (CIO), or local Office of Information and Technology (OI&T) representative to ensure that all actions are consistent with current VA policies and procedures prior to implementation.

The VA Decision Matrix displays the current and future VA IT position regarding different releases of a TRM entry. These decisions are based upon the best information available as of the most current date. The consumer of this information has the responsibility to consult the organizations responsible for the desktop, testing, and/or production environments to ensure that the target version of the technology will be supported. Any major.minor version that is not listed in the VA Decision Matrix is considered unapproved for use.

Legend:

White	Approved: The technology/standard has been approved for use.
Yellow	Approved w/Constraints: The technology/standard can be used within the specified constraints located below the decision matrix in the footnote[1] and on the General tab.
Gray	Unapproved: This technology or standard can be used only if a POA&M review is conducted and signed by the Authorizing Official Designated Representative (AODR) as designated by the Authorizing Official (AO) or designee and based upon a recommendation from the POA&M Compliance Enforcement, has been granted to the project team or organization that wishes to use the technology.
Orange	Divest: VA has decided to divest itself on the use of the technology/standard. As a result, all projects currently utilizing the technology/standard must plan to eliminate their use of the technology/standard. Additional information on when the entry is projected to become unapproved may be found on the Decision tab for the specific entry.
Black	Prohibited: The technology/standard is not (currently) permitted to be used under any circumstances.
Blue	Planning/Evaluation Constraint:The period of time this technology is currently being evaluated, reviewed, and tested in controlled environments. Use of this technology is strictly controlled and not available for use within the general population. If a customer would like to use this technology, please work with your local or Regional OI&T office and contact the appropriate evaluation office displayed in the notes below the decision matrix. The Local or Regional OI&T office should submit an inquiry to the TRM if they require further assistance or if the evaluating office is not listed in the notes below.

Release/Version Information:

VA decisions for specific versions may include a ‘.x’ wildcard, which denotes a decision that pertains to a range of multiple versions.

For example, a technology approved with a decision for 7.x would cover any version of 7.(Anything) - 7.(Anything). However, a 7.4.x decision would cover any version of 7.4.(Anything), but would not cover any version of 7.5.x or 7.6.x on the TRM.

VA decisions for specific versions may include ‘+’ symbols; which denotes that the decision for the version specified also includes versions greater than what is specified but is not to exceed or affect previous decimal places.

For example, a technology approved with a decision for 12.6.4+ would cover any version that is greater than 12.6.4, but would not exceed the .6 decimal ie: 12.6.401 is ok, 12.6.5 is ok, 12.6.9 is ok, however 12.7.0 or 13.0 is not.

<Past

CY2022

CY2023

CY2024

Future>

Release

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

1.6

Unapproved

1.7

Unapproved

1.8.0.0

Divest
[2, 8, 9, 10]

Divest
[9, 11, 12, 13]

Unapproved

1.10.x

Approved w/Constraints
[2, 8, 9, 10]

Approved w/Constraints
[9, 11, 12, 13]

Divest
[11, 12, 13, 14]

Unapproved

Decision Constraints


[1]	This technology should only be used when required by a Veterans Affairs (VA) business partner for an approved VA Project. Use of this technology must comply with ESCCB requirements which include: Signed Interconnection Agreements/Memorandum of Understanding agreements (MOU/ISA) with each external business partner, compliance with VA Handbook 6500, and must implement appropriate National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) requirements for all devices interacting with this technology. All instances of deployment using this technology should be reviewed by the local ISO (Information Security Officer) to ensure compliance with VA Handbook 6500 and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standards and an ISO Risk Based Decision (RBD) must be approved by the local ISO/CIO before it can be used in the VA Production Environment. In cases where the technology is used for external connections, a full Enterprise Security Change Control Board (ESCCB) review is required in accordance VA Directive 6004, VA Directive 6517 and VA Directive 6513. The local ISO can advise on the ESCCB review process and ensure privacy of information compliance protections are in place.

[2]	Users should check with their supervisor, Information Security Office (ISO) or local OIT representative for permission to download and use this software. Downloaded software must always be scanned for viruses prior to installation to prevent adware or malware. Freeware may only be downloaded directly from the primary site that the creator of the software has advertised for public download and user or development community engagement. Users should note, any attempt by the installation process to install any additional, unrelated software is not approved and the user should take the proper steps to decline those installations.

[3]	This technology should only be used when required by a Veterans Affairs (VA) business partner for an approved VA Project. Use of this technology must comply with ESCCB requirements which include: Signed Interconnection Agreements/Memorandum of Understanding agreements (MOU/ISA) with each external business partner, compliance with VA Handbook 6500, and must implement appropriate National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) requirements for all devices interacting with this technology. All instances of deployment using this technology should be reviewed by the local ISO (Information Security Officer) to ensure compliance with VA Handbook 6500 and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standards. As of January 27th, 2017, Risk-based Decisions (RBD) will be handled per VAIQ # 7769667. In cases where the technology is used for external connections, a full Enterprise Security Change Control Board (ESCCB) review is required in accordance VA Directive 6004, VA Directive 6517 and VA Directive 6513. The local ISO can advise on the ESCCB review process and ensure privacy of information compliance protections are in place.

[4]	This technology should only be used when required by a Veterans Affairs (VA) business partner for an approved VA Project. Use of this technology must comply with ESCCB requirements which include: Signed Interconnection Agreements/Memorandum of Understanding agreements (MOU/ISA) with each external business partner, compliance with VA Handbook 6500, and must implement appropriate National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) requirements for all devices interacting with this technology. All instances of deployment using this technology should be reviewed by the local ISO (Information Security Officer) to ensure compliance with VA Handbook 6500 and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standards. As of January 27th, 2017, Risk-based Decisions (RBD) will be handled per VAIQ # 7769667. In cases where the technology is used for external connections, a full Enterprise Security Change Control Board (ESCCB) review is required in accordance VA Directive 6004, VA Directive 6517 and VA Directive 6513. The local ISO can advise on the ESCCB review process and ensure privacy of information compliance protections are in place.

[5]	This technology should only be used when required by a Veterans Affairs (VA) business partner for an approved VA Project. Use of this technology must comply with ESCCB requirements which include: Signed Interconnection Agreements/Memorandum of Understanding agreements (MOU/ISA) with each external business partner, compliance with VA Handbook 6500, and must implement appropriate National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) requirements for all devices interacting with this technology. All instances of deployment using this technology should be reviewed by the local ISO (Information Security Officer) to ensure compliance with VA Handbook 6500 and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standards. As of January 27th, 2017, Risk-based Decisions (RBD) will be handled per VAIQ # 7769667. In cases where the technology is used for external connections, a full Enterprise Security Change Control Board (ESCCB) review is required in accordance VA Directive 6004, VA Directive 6517 and VA Directive 6513. The local ISO can advise on the ESCCB review process and ensure privacy of information compliance protections are in place.

[6]	Technology must remain patched and operated in accordance with Federal and Department security policies and guidelines in order to mitigate known and future security vulnerabilities.

[7]	Users must ensure that Microsoft .NET Framework is implemented with VA-approved baselines. (refer to the ‘Category’ tab under ‘Runtime Dependencies’)

[8]	This technology should only be used when required by a Veterans Affairs (VA) business partner for an approved VA Project. Use of this technology must comply with ESCCB requirements which include: Signed Interconnection Agreements/Memorandum of Understanding agreements (MOU/ISA) with each external business partner, compliance with VA Handbook 6500, and must implement appropriate National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) requirements for all devices interacting with this technology. All instances of deployment using this technology should be reviewed by the local ISO (Information Security Officer) to ensure compliance with VA Handbook 6500 and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standards. As of January 27th, 2017, Risk-based Decisions (RBD) will be handled per VAIQ # 7769667. In cases where the technology is used for external connections, a full Enterprise Security Change Control Board (ESCCB) review is required in accordance VA Directive 6004, VA Directive 6517 and VA Directive 6513. The local ISO can advise on the ESCCB review process and ensure privacy of information compliance protections are in place.

[9]	Users must ensure that Microsoft .NET Framework is implemented with VA-approved baselines. (refer to the ‘Category’ tab under ‘Runtime Dependencies’) This technology requires using a Universal Service Bus (USB) technology to transfer data into the records. As such, proper precautions need to be taken to protect data.

[10]	Due to National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) identified security vulnerabilities, extra vigilance should be applied to ensure the versions remain properly patched to mitigate known and future vulnerabilities. The local ISO can provide assistance in reviewing the NIST vulnerabilities.

[11]	Users should check with their supervisor, Information System Security Officer (ISSO) or local OIT representative for permission to download and use this software. Downloaded software must always be scanned for viruses prior to installation to prevent adware or malware. Freeware may only be downloaded directly from the primary site that the creator of the software has advertised for public download and user or development community engagement. Users should note, any attempt by the installation process to install any additional, unrelated software is not approved and the user should take the proper steps to decline those installations.

[12]	Due to National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) identified security vulnerabilities, extra vigilance should be applied to ensure the versions remain properly patched to mitigate known and future vulnerabilities. The local ISSO (Information System Security Officer) can provide assistance in reviewing the NIST vulnerabilities.

[13]	This technology should only be used when required by a Veterans Affairs (VA) business partner for an approved VA Project. Use of this technology must comply with ESCCB requirements which include: Signed Interconnection Agreements/Memorandum of Understanding agreements (MOU/ISA) with each external business partner, compliance with VA Handbook 6500, and must implement appropriate National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) requirements for all devices interacting with this technology. All instances of deployment using this technology should be reviewed by the local ISSO (Information System Security Officer) to ensure compliance with VA Handbook 6500 and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standards. As of January 27th, 2017, Risk-based Decisions (RBD) will be handled per VAIQ # 7769667. In cases where the technology is used for external connections, a full Enterprise Security Change Control Board (ESCCB) review is required in accordance VA Directive 6004, VA Directive 6517 and VA Directive 6513. The local ISSO can advise on the ESCCB review process and ensure privacy of information compliance protections are in place.

[14]	This technology requires using a Universal Service Bus (USB) technology to transfer data into the records. As such, proper precautions need to be taken to protect data. Users must not utilize the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) protocol, as it is unapproved for use on the TRM.

Note:

At the time of writing, version 1.10.1 is the most current version released.

References

The following reference(s) are associated with this entry:
Type	Name	Source	Description
Vendor Provided*	Knowledge Base	Welch Allyn	Educational and resource based resources
Guideline	Service Tool Installation and Configuration guide	Welch Allyn	This link provides an Installation/Configuration Guide for Service Tool.
*NOTE: Vendor provided information is subject to the accuracy of the manufacturer.

Technology Components

Note: This list may not be complete. No component, listed or unlisted, may be used outside of the technology in which it is released. The usage decision for a component is found in the Decision and Decision Constraints.
Name	Description
PartnerConnect	This component remotely monitors the Welch Allyn Platform systems and devices. The software captures operating information (not clinical data) and periodically sends it to Welch Allyn. Welch Allyn then analyzes the information to assist in remotely troubleshooting a device or to automatically notify users about issues such as a need for equipment replacement.
Remote Network Driver Interface Specification (RNDIS) driver (Connex Spot Monitor only)	The Connex Spot Monitor and the Welch Allyn Service Tool interact via Ethernet over Universal Serial Bus (USB) technology. This creates a network interface that can be assigned an Internet Protocol (IP) address and otherwise treated as ordinary Ethernet hardware. This interface is used for the Connex Spot Monitor firmware upgrades.
Universal Serial Bus (USB) driver	This component allows Welch Allyn devices to connect to a personal computer for testing.

VA Categories View the VA Categorization Framework

Domain Area	Category	Customer Guidance	Category Locked By ELT Date
Systems Management Systems Management Tools	Application Management

Operating Systems Supported by the Technology

Windows Client - Approved w/Constraints
Windows Server - Approved w/Constraints

Technologies/Standards Relationships

Runtime Dependencies:

Comparable Technologies:

Magical Jelly Bean KeyFinder

Companion Technologies/Supported Standards:

General Analysis

Adoption Benefits

There is no licensing fee associated with this technology.
This technology may improve productivity for specific staff whose responsibilities include maintenance for Welch Allyn`s proprietary hardware.
This technology provides proprietary functionality for vendor`s associated hardware.

Adoption Risks

This technology is available as freeware. If commercial support is not purchased, the product will be without clearly defined support options which may result in suboptimal enterprise level support.
This technology can potentially use Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), an unapproved protocol.
This technology involves the use Universal Serial Bus (USB) connections and proper security precautions must be taken when used.
There are other approved solutions that provide similar functionality available on the TRM. The use of several similar solutions may increase organization requirements for support and maintenance.
There are known Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVEs) associated with this technology. Please see https://nvd.NIST.gov/vuln/search for more details.
This technology is poorly documented and without clearly defined support options which may result in suboptimal enterprise level support.
Due to the rapid release schedule of this technology, the VA may be unable to update to the most recent patch and may require a deployment model requiring the use of specific versions.

Architectural Risks

This technology is not portable as it runs only on Windows platforms.

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VA Technical Reference Model v 23.8

General Information

Vendor Release Information

Current Decision Matrix (04/05/2023)

Decision Constraints

References

Technology Components

VA Categories View the VA Categorization Framework

Operating Systems Supported by the Technology

Technologies/Standards Relationships

Runtime Dependencies:

Comparable Technologies:

Companion Technologies/Supported Standards:

General Analysis

Adoption Benefits

Adoption Risks

Architectural Risks

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VA Technical Reference Model v 23.8

General Information

Vendor Release Information

Current Decision Matrix (04/05/2023)

Decision Constraints

References

Technology Components

VA Categories View the VA Categorization Framework

Operating Systems Supported by the Technology

Technologies/Standards Relationships

Runtime Dependencies:

Comparable Technologies:

Companion Technologies/Supported Standards:

General Analysis

Adoption Benefits

Adoption Risks

Architectural Risks

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